What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23)A/c was on the return leg of an air medical flight when the pilot advised the medical crew that he was not feeling well. The crew made a decision to land at wilcox airport rather than return to wilcox hospital due to the pilot's medical condition. While making the final approach to landing the pilot became medically incapacited causing him to lose control of the a/c. the a/c struck the ground causing the skids and main rotor to depart the a/c. additionally, parts of the main cabin and the tail boom were separated from the a/c. (.4) on December 22, 2000, at 0331 hours mountain standard time, a Bell 206-L3 helicopter, N288JB, sustained substantial damage when the pilot became ill and lost control 20 feet prior to touchdown at Cochise County Airport, wilcox, Arizona. Critical air medical was operating the helicopter under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. The commercial pilot and two crewmembers sustained minor injuries. The positioning flight departed the tuscon medical center about 0300, after delivering a patient, and was returning to its base at the north Cochise county medical center in wilcox. Visual meteorologic al conditions prevailed and a company VFR flight plan had been filed. The pilot told the operator's chief pilot he tried to drink a glass of tea about 2 hours before the mission, but discarded it because it tasted bad. The pilot said he felt a little discomfort during the mission when he detected the tea taste again. After the mission he reported that he felt better, and did not expect any problems on the return to base. About 5 minutes from the base hospital, the pilot said nausea, sweating, and cramps suddenly overcame him, and he began to retch. He said it was a dark, moonless night, and rough terrain was below him. The airport was at his 12 o'clock position at 5 miles, so he elected to fly there rather than attempt an off-airport landing. He requested a sick sack about 1 minute prior to landing. About 20 feet above the touchdown point, the pilot doubled over due to severe cramping. This moved the cyclic forward and to the right. The main rotor blades contacted the ground, and the helicopter came to rest on its side.
As the FAA filed it
(-23)A/C WAS ON THE RETURN LEG OF AN AIR MEDICAL FLIGHT WHEN THE PILOT ADVISED THE MEDICAL CREW THAT HE WAS NOT FEELING WELL. THE CREW MADE A DECISION TO LAND AT WILCOX AIRPORT RATHER THAN RETURN TO WILCOX HOSPITAL DUE TO THE PILOT'S MEDICAL CONDITION. WHILE MAKING THE FINAL APPROACH TO LANDING THE PILOT BECAME MEDICALLY INCAPACITED CAUSING HIM TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE A/C. THE A/C STRUCK THE GROUND CAUSING THE SKIDS AND MAIN ROTOR TO DEPART THE A/C. ADDITIONALLY, PARTS OF THE MAIN CABIN AND THE TAIL BOOM WERE SEPARATED FROM THE A/C. (.4) ON DECEMBER 22, 2000, AT 0331 HOURS MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A BELL 206-L3 HELICOPTER, N288JB, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN THE PILOT BECAME ILL AND LOST CONTROL 20 FEET PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN AT COCHISE COUNTY AIRPORT, WILCOX, ARIZONA. CRITICAL AIR MEDICAL WAS OPERATING THE HELICOPTER UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND TWO CREWMEMBERS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE POSITIONING FLIGHT DEPARTED THE TUSCON MEDICAL CENTER ABOUT 0300, AFTER DELIVERING A PATIENT, AND WAS RETURNING TO ITS BASE AT THE NORTH COCHISE COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER IN WILCOX. VISUAL METEOROLOGIC AL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A COMPANY VFR FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE PILOT TOLD THE OPERATOR'S CHIEF PILOT HE TRIED TO DRINK A GLASS OF TEA ABOUT 2 HOURS BEFORE THE MISSION, BUT DISCARDED IT BECAUSE IT TASTED BAD. THE PILOT SAID HE FELT A LITTLE DISCOMFORT DURING THE MISSION WHEN HE DETECTED THE TEA TASTE AGAIN. AFTER THE MISSION HE REPORTED THAT HE FELT BETTER, AND DID NOT EXPECT ANY PROBLEMS ON THE RETURN TO BASE. ABOUT 5 MINUTES FROM THE BASE HOSPITAL, THE PILOT SAID NAUSEA, SWEATING, AND CRAMPS SUDDENLY OVERCAME HIM, AND HE BEGAN TO RETCH. HE SAID IT WAS A DARK, MOONLESS NIGHT, AND ROUGH TERRAIN WAS BELOW HIM. THE AIRPORT WAS AT HIS 12 O'CLOCK POSITION AT 5 MILES, SO HE ELECTED TO FLY THERE RATHER THAN ATTEMPT AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING. HE REQUESTED A SICK SACK ABOUT 1 MINUTE PRIOR TO LANDING. ABOUT 20 FEET ABOVE THE TOUCHDOWN POINT, THE PILOT DOUBLED OVER DUE TO SEVERE CRAMPING. THIS MOVED THE CYCLIC FORWARD AND TO THE RIGHT. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE GROUND, AND THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST ON ITS SIDE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.